This invention relates to a control board mounting means and a method of mounting the control board in an appliance, such as a dishwasher.
In recent years, appliance controls have expanded from mechanical dials and switches to include electronic controls. A typical electronic dishwasher control includes a cycle selection panel located on the access door. The electronic circuitry may include a terminal board, a relay board, and a main control board, each of which is separately mounted on a carrier plate with a plurality of screws attaching it to the dishwasher control panel. The individual mounting of these components increases manufacturing time and costs. Also, the components are not well protected and subject to damage during shipping. The electronic control board associated with the cycle selection panel contains a touch pad area having buttons or keys located thereon for activating the circuitry for different washing operations and options.
In order to improve the efficiency and quickness with which the electronic circuits may be mounted to the control panel, it is desirable to minimize the number of fasteners utilized in the assembly process while maintaining support throughout for desirable feel when activating the circuitry. It is also desirable to minimize the number of components and assembly steps, and to provide a control board which is easy and safe to transport.